


One Zucchini Please

by mishaphappens



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Arguing, Dialogue Heavy, Future Fic, Grocery Shopping, M/M, Old Married Couple, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 22:55:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3913726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mishaphappens/pseuds/mishaphappens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You know,” Stiles said after a few minutes of painful grocery shopping.  He was juggling two cantaloupes in his hands.  “It isn’t as easy as you think.”</p><p>“Trusting me?”</p><p>Stiles looked like he wanted to throw the two melons at his head.  “Falling in love.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Zucchini Please

Stiles threw the sugary cereal in the cart with more force than was necessary, making Derek wince behind him. He continued to careen down the aisle, tossing items into the cart like a tornado with great aim and Derek trailed dejectedly behind him, trying to infiltrate a few of his own groceries between Stiles’ waving arms.

“You know,” Stiles said after a few minutes of painful grocery shopping. He was juggling two cantaloupes in his hands. “It isn’t as easy as you think.”

“Trusting me?”

Stiles looked like he wanted to throw the two melons at his head. “Falling in love.”

Derek nodded. He knew that only too well. “With me.”

“For everybody, you jackass,” Stiles said. He handed one of the fruits to Derek, putting the other back. “Look, I get that you have something to prove, or whatever, but we’re supposed to be a team here. Of course I trust you, I just wish you’d trust _me_.”

“I trust you.”

Stiles snorted, running a hand through his thick brown hair, spiking it further up his head. “Right.” He pushed the cart deeper into the fresh food aisle.

“My point is,” Stiles continued, “you’re the exception to my rule and I’m yours and sometimes you can be a complete dick about it.”

“What’s the rule?” Derek asked, grabbing a plastic bag and holding it open for Stiles’ broccoli that was deemed worthy for their gullet.

Stiles gave Derek a look. “Are you serious? _You’re_ the one who made up the rule.”

Derek shrugged, at a lost.

“Pack before everything else,” Stiles intoned in a terrible mockery of Derek, throwing the broccoli into the cart.

“I don’t sound like that,” Derek grumbled and then added, “Not before _everything_.”

“Yes, everything,” Stiles returned. “And that’s fine, Derek, I’m okay with that. But you’re missing the point. We can keep lying to ourselves about it, but the fact is that I put _you_ before Scott and Lydia and Kira. And you…” But Stiles’ trailed off, the lightest of a blush creeping up on his face. He turned away, shoving the squeaking cart to the check out. Derek rushed to catch up, his hand catching Stiles’ sleeve, and bringing him to a halt.

“And I put you above them,” Derek finished for him. Stiles released a breath, nodding, and turned around. Derek was hoping for a smile, but Stiles was still frowning.

“I don’t understand what we’re fighting about,” Derek confessed, his eyebrows curling up his forehead.

“I may be a measly human, Derek, but I’m not completely incapable in a fight,” Stiles said.

“I know that,” Derek replied.

“So why the hell do you get to do all the heroics and I get told to ‘Stay here, Stiles, where it’s safe’? If I wanted safe, Derek, I would have run screaming from this lifestyle years ago.”

“I don’t know--.”

“How would you feel if I told you that, huh?” Stiles continued. “‘Stay behind, Derek, while I go fight and get my ribs broken.’”

“In my defense, I can heal faster than you,” Derek needed to point out and Stiles punched him in the arm.

“Take this seriously.”

Derek sighed. “Stiles, if I knew you would be safe, I would take you into every battle with me.”

“Why can’t I say that to you, huh? I _know_ you’re not going to be safe. I know you’re going to get hurt. _Yet I let you go anyways._ ”

Derek’s mouth fell open and then he quickly shut closed again. He looked away.

“Exactly,” Stiles said and turned back to the cart, pushing it away. Derek followed him, hands fisting uselessly at his sides. They were quiet in the checkout line, Derek mutely handing over his card while Stiles put the bags of food back into the cart. They walked out together, Stiles shoving the cart through the thin sleet of muddy snow in the parking lot. Derek unlocked his car on their approach, but he stepped in front of Stiles before he could grab the first bag of food.

“What do you want?” Derek asked. Stiles sighed, his hand rising to cart through his hair in frustration, but Derek caught it, intertwined their fingers. “Just tell me, Stiles, you know I’m really bad at guessing.”

A hint of a smile on Stiles’ lips. “Yeah, that’s an understatement. You’d be lost without me, buddy.”

“I’m aware of that,” Derek said seriously and the hint blossomed into something warm and inviting.

“Okay,” Stiles said. “You can’t shield me from everything, Derek. One day, I’m going to not listen to you, do what I want, save the day, and get someone hurt. And yes, it will probably be me. I’ll probably get hurt on even the most mundane and easiest of monsters, and you know what you’re going to do?”

Derek raised an eyebrow. “I bet you’re going to tell me.”

“You’re going to sit at my bedside and help me get better,” Stiles said, smacking him in the chest. “Just like I will when you’re a dumbass again.”

Derek opened his mouth to object, but Stiles continued, “You can’t protect me, man. You can’t save everyone. And I just want to do this stuff together, know that we did everything we could to help each other and our pack. We’re weak when we’re separated. But we’re stronger together.”

Derek nodded. “All right.”

Stiles’ eyebrows rose incredulously. “All right?”

“Well, I’m not saying that I’m suddenly going to be different,” Derek said haltingly.

“Of course,” Stiles replied, as if he expected nothing else.

“But I’ll try.”

“And when you’re being an unreasonable dick, I’ll just say zucchini and you’ll know.”

“Zucchini?”

Stiles nodded at the cart, where the vegetable was laying at the top of the pile. “Well, something like that. I’ll think of a better code word tomorrow. Maybe apple. Or squash--.”

“Sour wolf,” Derek said. Stiles’ brown eyes went soft in the low light, that mischievous grin appearing.

“That works,” Stiles said. “Also, funny story, that was another time you literally _died_ in front of me and look how well I survived without--.”

“Scott helped,” Derek said.

“Oh, he did a little,” Stiles replied, pulling Derek closer by their clasped hands.

Derek would have argued, but his mouth was busy doing other things. And that was definitely okay with him.


End file.
